GIANT CELEBRATION: Fans have plenty to cheer about in World Series opener

Thursday

Oct 28, 2010 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - J.T. Thomas, happily stood behind the bar next to his giant bell and handed out orange rally flags to anyone who walked into the Waterloo Club.

Scott Linesburgh

STOCKTON - J.T. Thomas, happily stood behind the bar next to his giant bell and handed out orange rally flags to anyone who walked into the Waterloo Club.

Thomas has owned the bar and restaurant in what he proudly calls "the biggest little Giants town in the world" for a quarter of a century and was ready for his team's first World Series appearance in eight years.

"We have the rally flags - the customers are excited - and I ring the bell whenever anything good happens for the Giants," Thomas said.

He had plenty of chances to ring the old railroad bell Wednesday.

Giants fans filled sports bars throughout the area and watched as their team outslugged the Texas Rangers 11-7 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven World Series. They came with their Giants hats, jerseys, T-shirts and jackets, hoping for a victory and celebrating loudly when the Giants moved a little closer to their first World Series title since moving to San Francisco from New York in 1958.

Hosea Hopkins was at Valley Brewing Co. in Stockton and smiled widely when the Giants rallied from a 2-0 deficit. He said he feels he was born to be a Giants fan.

"I've been a fan since 1958, which is the year I was born and the year they came to San Francisco," said Hopkins of Stockton. "My Dad was a Giants fan, and I'm a Giants fan."

Staying at home and watching the game on television was an option, but some wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of joining other fans. Manuel Bonzo and Victoria Diego of Stockton sat to their regular table near the bar at Fats Grill.

"This is our spot," Diego said. "We'll watch every game of the series here. And what a start."

There was some trepidation among the Giants faithful in the first few innings. The bar area was packed at Waterloo, where the walls are adorned with photos of former Giants stars such as Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Gaylord Perry and Juan Marichal. There were groans when the Rangers started a rally in the first inning, and someone loudly screamed "What are you doing?!" when Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum botched a force play at third base. It was 2-0 in favor of Texas after two innings, but no one panicked."

"Two runs? That's nothing," said Freddie Podesta IV of Linden as he sat at the bar at Waterloo. "I absolutely believe we'll win."

The Giants delivered. And many who watched San Francisco pull away during a six-run fifth inning got extra enjoyment that they did it against Rangers ace Cliff Lee, who had never lost in the postseason before the Giants chased him from the game in the fifth after he gave up seven runs, six earned.

"(Lee) was 7-0 in the postseason, and the Giants just knocked him out the game," Bonzo said. "That's incredible."

And the win left many Giants fans confident they were watching the team who would finally deliver a world championship to San Francisco.

"I absolutely believe they can win this, and I think they will," Hopkins said.